Irish Examiner view: Should we be wary of facial recognition technology?

Sat, 04 Jun, 2022 - 02:00

Should we be concerned at the news that An Garda Síochána are moving quickly to embrace facial recognition technology, which, says Justice Minister Helen McEntee, will be used to analyse CCTV footage for suspects in serious crimes or to identify missing persons, thus saving thousands of work hours?

Let us set aside, for now, that the most enthusiastic advocates and exponents of facial recognition technology are those bastions of democracy and free speech, China, Russia, and the United Arab Emirates. Within the suggestion is the hint that gardaí will also be able to use the technology — for many years proclaimed as the next big thing, with a global market estimated to be worth over €10bn — within three years to scrutinise our activities in real time with live footage.

Of course, the normal caveats are being suggested, as they usually are when politicians know they are proposing something that is potentially highly intrusive and unpalatable. It would only be used when there was “a threat to national security” or a “risk to life” such as in child-abduction cases.

What we do know is that once such technologies are in place, they are subject to extensive mission creep. One report recently highlighted that more than 40% of countries used facial recognition technology during the Covid-19 crisis for creating contactless services, to track those in quarantine, monitor social distancing, and check mask wearing.

Other countries use it in stations, on trains, on buses, in schools, in workplaces, in banks, and in airports.

Nearly 70% of the world’s police forces have access to some form of it, although it is far from fool proof at this stage of its development.

This proposal needs substantial scrutiny before it is passed into law and before it subjects all citizens to an even higher level of oversight from the all-seeing eye.

Garda Supt tells tribunal he could not have plotted to put Sergeant in 'harm's way'